Independently operable switches with second touch release



Feb. 28, 1967 D. J. CAMPBELL 3,306,995

INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE SWITCHES WITH SECOND TOUGH RELEASE Filed Sept.14, 1965 United States Patent (Mike 3,306,995 INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLESWITCHES WITH SECOND TOUCH RELEASE Donald J. Campbell, 2971 DeckebachAve.,

Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 Filed Sept. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 487,250 Claims.(Cl. 20018) This invention relates to a multiple switch having a secondtouch release in which each individual switch has a position beyond thenormal on position wherein all other switches of the group are released.

Second touch or double touch is a device found on the manuals, pedals,preset buttons and combination buttons of some theatre organs. A manualequipped with second touch can be played normally but if the fingerforce applied to any key is increased beyond normal, such key isdepressed to a more than normal position and, in such position, actuatesadditional stops or couplers. The key mechanism is arranged so that, asthe key is depressed, a normal force is required until the bottom of thenormal action is reached. At this point, a second spring becomesefiective and there is a sud-den increase in the force required forfurther deflection. This provides a definite bottom to the normal actionand prevents second touch from being actuated unintentionally. Althoughsome skill is required on the part of the organist, manual and pedalsecond touch permits many efiects which increase the apparent number ofmanuals or hands in use.

Preset buttons are usually located between manuals and are operated bythe thumb of the organist while playing. Actuation of a preset buttoncauses the stop combination in use to be instantly replaced by anotherstop combination associated with that preset button. Second touch hasbeen used on preset buttons to provide a pedal stop combinationappropriate to the manual stop combination controlled by the normaltouch of the preset button.

Combination buttons are the same as preset buttons except for the methodof setting up the stops to be controlled by a given button. Acombination button can be set up from the front of the console but apresent button has either a permanently wired-in set of stops or asettingup switchboard at the rear of the console. Combination buttonsare sometimes referred to as pistons.

One application of the multiple switch with second touch release of thepresent invention is to the stop tabs of a musical instrument havingsecond touch cancel wherein each stop tab has a second touch positionbeyond the normal on position which cancels or returns to the offposition all the other stop tabs of the group. Organists frequently arerequired to make rapid and extensive changes in registration, i.e.,selection of the combination of stops employed, while playing. Presetand combination buttons are provided to solve this problem in largeorgans. In smaller organs, second touch cancel can be of greatassistance in making rapid changes in registration by significantlyreducing the number of finger motions required.

In addition to use in musical instruments, the multiple switch of thepresent invention has wide application in other fields, for example, inintercom systems to provide rapid change from conference operation toindividual station operation or vice versa.

The invention will be further illustrated by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a bottom View of oneembodiment of the multiple switch of the present invention, havingsecond touch cancel, shown applied to the stop tabs of an electricorgan,

FIGURE FIGURE 1,

2 is a sectional view taken on line A-A of 3,306,995 Patented Feb. 28,1967 FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, showingelectrical contacts actuated by movement of the stop tabs,

FIGURES 3a illustrates the electrical contacts shown in'FIGURES 3, asviewed from the top of that figure.

It will be understood by one skilled in the art that since FIGURE 1 is abottom view of the structure of the present invention, and since FIGURES2 and 3 are cross sectional views of FIGURE 1 (in the direction ofarrows A A), the structure illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 is shownsubstantially upside down with respect to its normal orientation in anorgan console. The various elements and their interaction, as shown inFIGURES 2 and 3, will be described with respect to their orientationsinthose figures.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a multiple switch with second touch cancel isshown having the base plate 2 and a pair of tab shaft mounting blocks 4and 6, shown in phantom, secured to the upper side thereof. The tabshaft 8 is supported by the mounting blocks 4 and 6 and has the stoptabs 10, 12, 14 16, and 18 pivotally mounted thereon. A cancel tab 20 isalso pivotally mounted on the tab shaft 8. Each of the tabs It), 12, 14,16, 18, and 20 is provided with a tab return spring 22 which continuallybiases each of the tabs toward the off position. The tabs are spaced byindividual felt washers 24.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, each of the tabs, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20is supported on the tab shaft 8 by a pair of generally triangularmounting arms 26, each pair of arms being joined at their upper ends bythe tab pins 28. The base plate 2, as best shown in FIGURE 2, has thedetent spring mounting bracket 30 bolted thereto, --the mounting bracketbeing connected to the bar 32 by the arms 34. The arms 34 are pivotallyconnected to the bracket 30 by the pivot pins 36. Also secured to thebase plate 2 is the second touch lever stop 38. A plurality of detentsprings 40 are secured to the detent spring mounting bracket 30 bysoldering, as shown at 42. The left-hand ends of the detent springs,viewed in FIGURE 2, engage with the tab pins 28.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the upper surface of the second touch bar 32has a felt strip 44 cemented thereto and a similar strip 46 is cementedto the lower surface of the bar 32. The ends of the felt strip 46 reston the upper surface of the base plate 2 and do not pass through theaperture 48 therein, due to a greater width of the strip 46. The feltpad 50 cemented to the strip 46 passes through the aperture 48 in thebase plate 2 since the aperture is wider than the pad. The felt pad 50serves as a mechanical stop for all the tabs in the normal on positionand the felt pad 52 serves as a mechanical stop for all tabs in the offposition.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the tab 16 is in the normal off position and isshown in phantom in the normal on position. Any furthercounter-clockwise rotation of the tab 16, shown in FIGURE 2, will raisethe felt pad 50, the bar 32 and the detent spring 40, such furthermovement beyond the position shown in phantom being the second touchposition. The second touch position is limited by engagement of thelower part of the bar 32 wit-h the second touch lever stop 38.

In operation, when any tab, such as tab 16, is depressed beyond thenormal on position shown in phantom in FIGURE 2, the felt pad 50 willmove upwardly through the aperture 48 in the base plate 2 and, since itis cemented to the felt strip 46, which is, in turn, cemented to the barmember 32, the bar member 32 will be raised and will pivot about thepivots 36. The upward movement of the bar member 32 raises all of thedetent springs 40 away from all of the tab pins 28, thus releasing thedetent action, and all tabs, except the one being actuated, which are inthe on position, i.e., the position shown in phantom in 3 FIGURE 2.,will return to the off position as a result of this spring actionexerted by the tab return springs 22. The second touch force required toraise the bar 32 is much greater than the normal detent action force;this provides a bottom for the normal action and prevents second touchfrom being actuated unintentionally.

The tab 20 has no detent action and acts only as a cancel tab, alwaysreturning to the off position.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 3a, the wires '54 and 56 are silver-platedspring wires used as electrical contacts, the wires being soldered tothe insulating mounting bracket '58 which is, in turn, mounted on thedetent spring mounting bracket 30. One pair of contact wires 54 and 56is provided for each tab. The left-hand end of the wire 54 extendsdownwardly as shown in FIGURE 3 and engages with the tab pin 28 on oneside of the detent spring 40. Thus, moving a tab to the on positioncauses the contact wire 54 to move upwardly and make contact with thefixed contact wire 56 thereby completing an electrical circuit orcontrolling a mechanical device.

Each of the tabs 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 can be placed in the on or offposition independently of the others and the organist selects a desiredcombination of stops by placing the corresponding tabs in the onposition using only the normal on position. When it is desired to makea' change in registration, the organist depresses the tab correspondingto the first stop of the new registration to the second touch position.This cancels all stops of the previous registration and leaves the firsttab of the new registration in the on position. The organist than addsthe other stops of the new registration by depressing the appropriatetabs to the normal on position.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modificationsmay be made within the scope of the present invention without departingfrom the spirit thereof, and the nvention includes all suchmodifications.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple switch comprising,

a frame,

a plurality of actuators,

means mounting each of said actuators on said frame for selectivemovement between a first position, a second position and an overrideposition,

biasing means mounted on said frame and biasing said actuators to saidfirst position, holding means mounted on said frame,

said holding means being movable between a hold position for releasablymaintaining said actuators in a selected one of said first and secondpositions and a release position to enable said biasing means to movesaid actuators to said first position,

release means movably mounted on said frame and normally in a positionto be contacted by any one of said actuators when any one of saidactuators is in said second position,

said release means movable with any one of said actuators upon movementof any one of said actuators into said override position, and

means associated with said release means to contact said holding meansand move said holding means into said release position upon movement ofany one of said actuators into said override position, whereby movementof any one actuator into its override position enables said biasingmeans to become effective to move all other actuators to said firstposition.

2. A multiple switch as set forth in claim 1 in which each actuatorcomprises a tab with means provided to permit said tab to be rocked toand from said first and second positions and into said overrideposition.

3. A multiple switch as set forth in claim 1 in which said release meansis pivotally mounted on said frameand normally held by said holdingmeans in position to be contacted by any one actuator in said actuatorssecond position. 5

4. A multiple switch as set forth in claim 3 in which said holding meanscomprises a spring offering a force that must be overcome in moving anactuator from said second position to said override position.

5. A multiple switch as set forth in claim l in which said firstposition of any one actuator constitutes an off position and in whichsaid second position of any one actuator constitutes an on position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,964,986 12/1960Johnson 20o 5 X 3,071,659 '1/1963 Kimball 20.0,18 X 3,176,527 4/1965Hyden 200-18X ROBERT K. SCI-IAEFER, Primary Examiner.

J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner.

1. A MULTIPLE SWITCH COMPRISING, A FRAME, A PLURALITY OF ACTUATORS,MEANS MOUNTING EACH OF SAID ACTUATORS ON SAID FRAME FOR SELECTIVEMOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION, A SECOND POSITION AND AN OVERRIDEPOSITION, BIASING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND BIASING SAID ACTUATORSTO SAID FIRST POSITION, HOLDING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, SAIDHOLDING MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN A HOLD POSITION FOR RELEASABLYMAINTAINING SAID ACTUATORS IN A SELECTED ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECONDPOSITIONS AND A RELEASE POSITION TO ENABLE SAID BIASING MEANS TO MOVESAID ACTUATORS TO SAID FIRST POSITION, RELEASE MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTED ONSAID FRAME AND NORMALLY IN A POSITION TO BE CONTACTED BY ANY ONE OF SAIDACTUATORS WHEN ANY ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS IS IN SAID SECOND POSITION,SAID RELEASE MEANS MOVABLE WITH ANY ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS UPON MOVEMENTOF ANY ONE OF SAID ACTUATORS INTO SAID OVERRIDE POSITION, AND MEANSASSOCIATED WITH SAID RELEASE MEANS TO CONTACT SAID HOLDING MEANS ANDMOVE SAID HOLDING MEANS INTO SAID RELEASE POSITION UPON MOVEMENT OF ANYONE OF SAID ACTUATORS INTO SAID OVERRIDE POSITION, WHEREBY MOVEMENT OFANY ONE ACTUATOR INTO ITS OVERRIDE POSITION ENABLES SAID BIASING MEANSTO BECOME EFFECTIVE TO MOVE ALL OTHER ACTUATORS TO SAID FIRST POSITION.